A squat stand does one thing a cage does, which is hold a loaded bar at the right height so you can get under it. What it leaves out is the frame around you. That makes it smaller, cheaper and quicker to set up, and it is enough for a lot of home training. It stops being enough at the point where the load, or lifting alone, means you want steel on every side.
What a stand gives you
The Portable Squat Rack is a pair of independent steel stands, each 51cm by 53cm and 107cm tall, with bar holders and safety supports, rated to 120kg. Because the two halves are separate you can set them at squat width, then move them either side of a bench for pressing, then stand them against a wall when you are done. Height adjusts in increments on both the bar holder and the safety.
The PCR101 Commercial Squat Rack is a one-piece steel frame, 157cm long, 93cm wide and 166cm tall, with safety spotters and quick-change bar holders. Being one piece, it does not need squaring up before every session and it does not walk apart under a heavy walkout. It still leaves the front open.
When to step up to a rack
Three things push a buyer from a stand to a rack. The first is load. The portable stands are rated to 120kg, and if your squat or bench is heading past that, the power racks are rated to 400kg and 450kg. The second is training alone at limit weights. A cage's safety bars catch a failed rep on both sides at once, wherever the bar is over them. Spotter supports on a stand catch it only if it comes down on them. The third is pull-ups and attachments, which a stand does not have.
Floor and headroom
A stand wins on both. The PCR101 stands 166cm tall, and the portable stands 107cm, against 205cm to 238cm for the racks. A room with a low ceiling, a garage with a roller door track, or a corner that has to be cleared for the car are the cases where a stand is the right answer rather than the compromise.
What to check on the product page
- The supported load, 120kg on the portable stands, against your working weights.
- Assembled footprint and height against the space.
- Bar-holder and safety-support height range against your squat depth and bench height.
- What is included. Both stands ship without a bench, barbell, plates or collars.
The RooFitness squat stands compared
| Product | Form | Rated load | Assembled size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portable Squat Rack | Pair of independent stands | 120kg | 51 × 53 × 107cm each |
| PCR101 Commercial Squat Rack | One-piece frame with spotters | Not listed | 157 × 93 × 166cm |
Related
All squat stands · Power racks and cages · Weight benches · Olympic barbells
